Extruded server case

ABSTRACT

A liquid submersion cooled computer that includes a seamless, extruded main body used to form a liquid-tight case holding a cooling liquid that submerges components of the computer. By forming the main body as a seamless extrusion, the number of possible leakage paths from the resulting liquid-tight case is reduced. No seams are provided on the main body, and there are no openings through the walls of the main body, so liquid cannot leakage through the main body. Any leakage paths are limited to joints between the main body and end walls which are sealingly attached to the main body to form the liquid-tight case.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a Division of application Serial No. 13/182,866filed on Jul. 14, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication 61/378,046 filed Aug. 30, 2010, which applications areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to a liquid submersion cooled computer, forexample a server computer or a personal computer.

BACKGROUND

Examples of liquid submersion cooled computers are disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 7,403,392 and in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2009/0260777.

SUMMARY

A liquid submersion cooled computer is described that includes aseamless, extruded main body used to form a liquid-tight case holding acooling liquid that submerges components of the computer. By forming themain body as a seamless extrusion, the number of possible leakage pathsfrom the resulting liquid-tight case is reduced. No seams are providedon the main body, and there are no openings through the walls of themain body, so liquid cannot leakage through the main body. Any leakagepaths are limited to joints between the main body and end walls whichare sealingly attached to the main body to form the liquid-tight case.

The liquid submersion cooled computer can be any type of computer. Forexample, the computer can be a server computer. A liquid submergedserver computer is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2009/0260777 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.In another example, the computer can be a personal computer. A liquidsubmerged personal computer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,403,392which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The extruded main body can be formed from any extrudable material. Forexample, the main body can be extruded from a metal including, but notlimited to, aluminum, or from a polymeric material such as athermosetting plastic.

In one embodiment, a liquid submersion cooled server computer includes aliquid-tight case having a main body that includes a plurality of wallsdefining an interior space. The main body also includes a first end anda second end. The main body is seamless and formed from an extrudedmaterial. In addition, the walls of the main body are devoid of openingstherethrough so that the interior space is not in communication with anexterior of the main body through the plurality of walls. The casefurther includes a first end wall closing the first end and a second endwall closing the second end. A server logic board is disposed in theinterior space of the main body, and heat generating computercomponents, including a processor, are disposed on the server logicboard. A dielectric cooling liquid is disposed within the interior spaceand submerges the plurality of heat generating computer components,including the processor, disposed on the server logic board. Inaddition, a liquid inlet for dielectric cooling liquid and a liquidoutlet for dielectric cooling liquid are provided on the first end wallor on the second end wall.

The term “seamless” is intended to mean that the walls of the main bodyare not initially separate from each other and then joined together. Thejoining of separate walls to form the main body would create seamsbetween the walls which increases the chances of a failure or defect inthe joint between two of the walls, thereby creating a leakage path forthe cooling liquid from the interior of the case. In contrast, byforming the main body as a seamless extrusion, the walls of the mainbody are integrally formed, and there are no seams between the walls. Asa result, there are no leakage paths through the main body.

In another embodiment, a server computer case comprises a plurality ofwalls defining an interior space, the walls having a first end and asecond end. The walls are seamless and are formed from an extrudedmaterial, and the walls are devoid of openings therethrough so that theinterior space is not in communication with ambient air through theplurality of walls. Ridges are formed on outer surfaces of the pluralityof walls at the first end and the second end, and the ridges includethreaded holes at the first end and the second end for receivingthreaded fasteners that are used to secure end walls to the case todefine a liquid-tight case.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a liquid submersion cooled servercomputer with an extruded case as described herein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from the rear of the liquid submersioncooled server computer of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 with a side wall and topwall of the extruded main body made transparent to show the interior ofthe case.

FIG. 4 shows the server computer with a tray assembly partially removedthrough the rear of the extruded case.

FIG. 5 shows the tray assembly.

FIG. 6 is an end view of the extruded main body showing edges of theserver logic board received in extruded slots.

FIG. 7 is an end view of another embodiment showing edges of the trayassembly received in extruded slots.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the extruded main bodythat includes heat exchange fins on the interior and exterior of themain body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a liquid submersion cooled computer 10 in theform of a blade server computer. The concepts described herein can alsobe applied to a liquid submersion cooled personal computer.

The computer 10 includes a sealed, liquid-tight case 12 that containstherein a cooling liquid that submerges heat generating components ofthe computer so that the submerged components are in direct contact withthe cooling liquid inside the case 12. The cooling liquid can be, but isnot limited to, a dielectric liquid. Dielectric liquids that can be usedinclude, but are not limited to:

Engineered fluids like 3M™ Novec™

Mineral oil

Silicone oil

Natural ester-based oils, including soybean-based oils

Synthetic ester-based oils

The liquid can be single phase or two-phase. It is preferred that theliquid have a high enough thermal transfer capability to handle theamount of heat being generated by the submerged components so that theliquid does not change state. Enough of the liquid is present in thecase 12 in order to submerge the heat generating components of thecomputer that one wishes to submerge. So in some instances the liquidmay fill substantially the entire case 12, while in other instances theliquid may only partially fill the case 12.

The heat generating components in the case 12 that can be submerged arethose that are electronically and/or thermally active. Examples of heatgenerating components that are electronically and/or thermally activeare processors, power supply units, memory and storage devices,management hardware, and other components.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the case 12 includes a main body 14that includes a plurality of walls 20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 20 d defining aninterior space 22, a first end wall 16 closing a first open end of themain body and a second end wall 18 closing a second open end of the mainbody. When the first end wall 16 and the second end wall 18 are attachedto the main body 14, a sealed, liquid-tight space is created forcontaining the server electronics and the cooling liquid. As will bedescribed further below, the second end wall 18 includes a valved liquidinlet and a valved liquid outlet to allow cooling liquid to enter andexit the interior space. Therefore, a sealed, liquid-tight space isintended to mean that there is no unintentional leakage or otherunintentional movement of cooling liquid from the case 12, despite therebeing the ability for cooling liquid to intentionally flow into and outof the case 12 through the inlet and the outlet.

The main body 14 is formed from an extruded material so that the walls20 a, 20 b, 20 c, 20 d are integrally formed and the main body 14 isseamless. The extruded main body can be formed from any extrudablematerial that one finds suitable for use on a server. For example, themain body 14 can be extruded from a metal including, but not limited to,aluminum, or from a polymeric material such as a thermosetting plastic.Extruding the main body 14 from aluminum helps to reduce the weight ofthe resulting case 12, and using aluminum (or other metal) for the mainbody helps to dissipate heat from the cooling liquid inside the case viaconduction. Further, extruding the main body 14 eliminates seams betweenthe walls, so that the main body is seamless. This eliminates anyleakage paths through the main body. The process of extruding metals andpolymeric materials is well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Unlike conventional server and other computer housings which have holesor other openings in the housing to allow air to flow between the insideand outside of the housing, the main body 14 is devoid of any openingsin the walls 20 a-d so that the interior space 22 is not incommunication with the exterior of the main body or ambient air throughthe walls.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the extruded main body 14 includes a plurality ofraised ridges 24 formed on exterior surfaces of the plurality of walls20 a-d. The ridges 24 extend continuously from the first end of the mainbody to the second end and form means by which the end walls 16, 18 canbe secured to the main body. In particular, the ridges 24 includethreaded holes 26 at the first end and the second end (the threadedholes 26 at the first end of the main body are visible in FIG. 7) thatreceive threaded fasteners 28, such as screws, to secure the end walls16, 18 to the main body. The threaded holes 26 do not extend through theentire length of the ridges 24. Instead, the threaded holes 26 need onlyextend a sufficient distance into each ridge 24 to receive the threadedfasteners.

In the embodiment of the main body illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, theinterior surfaces of the walls 20 a-d are generally smooth and flat.However, as shown in the embodiments in FIGS. 6 and 7, the two walls 20b, 20 d disposed opposite each other can be formed with extruded slots30 a, 30 b on their interior surfaces. The slots 30 a, 30 b extendcontinuously from the first end of the main body to the second end. Aswill be described further below, the slots 30 a, 30 b slidably receiveopposite edges of a logic server board (FIG. 6) or opposite edges of atray on which the logic server board is mounted (FIG. 7) to facilitateinsertion and removal of the server board.

In addition to extruded slots, or separately from slots, the main body14 can be extruded with a plurality of integral heat exchange fins 32illustrated in FIG. 8. The heat exchange fins 32 can be formed on one ormore interior surfaces of the walls 20 a-d, and/or formed on one or moreexterior surfaces of the walls 20 a-d. The provision of heat exchangefins 32 would increase the conductive heat transfer from the coolingliquid inside the case to the ambient air.

Turning to FIGS. 1-5, the end walls 16, 18 are secured to the first andsecond ends of the main body, and are sealed therewith, to close theinterior space 22 and define an interior volume for holding the coolingliquid. The end walls 16, 18 are preferably formed of the same materialused to form the extruded main body 14, but could be formed of differentmaterial. The means for forming the seal between the end walls 16, 18and the main body are the same for each end wall 16, 18 and will bedescribed with respect to the end wall 18.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the end wall 18 is generallyrectangular in shape. A continuous raised lip 40 is formed on the insidesurface of the end wall 18 and is sized and shaped to fit closely withthe interior surfaces of the walls 20 a-d at the second end. A sealinggasket 42 is disposed around the lip 40. The gasket 42 seals with theinterior surfaces of the walls 20 a-d, and a perimeter edge 44 of theend wall around the lip 40 is engaged with the end faces of the walls 20a-d. This creates a liquid-tight seal to prevent leakage of coolingliquid from the interior.

The end wall 18 is also provided with a liquid inlet 46 to allow coolingliquid to enter the case 14 and a liquid outlet 48 to allow coolingliquid to exit the case. The inlet 46 and the outlet 48 are providedwith quick connect/disconnect valves that are designed to automaticallyopen/close upon connection/disconnection with mating fluid conduits.Although the inlet 46 and the outlet 48 are described as being on theend wall 18, the locations of the inlet and the outlet could vary. Forexample, in certain embodiments, the inlet and outlet could be on theend wall 16. In addition, the inlet could be on one end wall and theoutlet could be on the other end wall.

The inlet and the outlet are connected to a thermal dissipation orrecovery device (not shown). The thermal dissipation or recovery devicecan be any device that is suitable for dissipating heat or allowingrecovery of the heat from the cooling liquid from inside the case. Forexample, the device can be a simple heat exchanger, such as a radiator,for dissipating heat. Air or liquid could be used as the heat exchangingmedium. In addition, the heat exchanger could be disposed underground toallow the relatively cool ground to cool the liquid. The external heatexchanger can take on a number of different configurations, as long asit is able to cool the liquid down to an acceptable temperature prior tobeing fed back into the case. Examples of thermal dissipation devicesinclude, but are not limited to, a cooling stack, evaporation, and anin-ground loop. A pump is used to pump the cooling liquid from the case,to the thermal dissipation or recovery device, and back into the case.Further information on thermal dissipation or recovery devices can befound in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0260777.

With continued reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the end wall 18 furtherincludes pass-through input/output (I/O) 50 and power 52 connectors. TheI/O connector 50 engages with an input/output bus to pass externalcomponent I/O, storage I/O into and out of the case 14 to and from theserver logic board and its components. The power connector 52 passeselectrical power, such as AC power, into the case from an external powersource. The connectors 50, 52 can be any type of connectors suitable forpassing I/O and power into and from the case. Each of the connectors 50,52 is sealingly fixed to the end wall 18 in a manner to prevent fluidleakage past the connectors.

The perimeter edge of the end wall 18 is provided with a plurality ofspaced ears 54 that correspond in location to the ridges 24. The ears 54abut against the ridges 24 and are provided with holes 56 through whichthe threaded fasteners 28 extend to secure the end wall 18 to the mainbody 14.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the end wall 16 is constructed somewhatsimilarly to the end wall 18 so as to seal with the first end of themain body in the same manner as the end wall 18. The end wall 16includes a plurality of user interface devices such as an on/off button60 and status indicators 62. Each interface device is sealingly fixed tothe end wall 16 in a manner to prevent fluid leakage past the interfacedevice.

The perimeter edge of the end wall 16 is provided with a plurality ofspaced ears 64 that correspond in location to the ridges 24. The ears 64abut against the ridges 24 and are provided with holes through which thethreaded fasteners 28 extend to secure the end wall 16 to the main body14.

A plurality of electronically and/or thermally active computercomponents that together form a complete computing system, for exampleforming a server computing system, are disposed within the case 12.Examples of computer components that are electronically and/or thermallyactive include, but are not limited to, processors, one or more powersupply units, memory and storage devices, management hardware, and othercomponents.

For a server computer, the computer components are mounted on a serverlogic board 70. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, the logicboard 70 is in turn mounted on a metal tray 72 that is slidably disposedwithin the interior space of the main body 14 to allow the tray 72 andthe logic board 70 mounted thereon to be removed from and inserted intothe main body as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the tray 72includes a side wall 74 to which the logic board 70 is attached, and apair of upturned flanges 76, 78 extending the length of the tray 72. Oneend of the tray 72 is fixed to the end wall 18 and is designed to beremoved from second end of the main body 14 when the end wall 18 isremoved. Alternatively, the tray can be fixed to the end wall 16 so asto removable from the main body through the first end when the end wall16 is removed.

Two curved guides 80, 82 are formed on the flanges 76, 78 at the endopposite the end wall 18. The guides 80, 82 match the curvature betweenthe walls 20 a, 20 c and the walls 20 b, 20 d to help stabilize the traywithin the case and to guide the tray as it is removed from andinstalled into the case 12.

With reference to FIG. 6, instead of using a tray, opposite edges of thelogic board 70 can be slidably disposed within the extruded slots 30 a,30 b. FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment where opposite edges of a tray90, to which the logic board 70 is attached, are slidably disposedwithin the extruded slots 30 a, 30 b.

Once the computing system is disposed within the case 12 and the endwalls 16, 18 are secured to the main body 14, the case is filled withthe cooling liquid. The cooling liquid is introduced through the inlet46. The interior space of the case is filled with the cooling liquid toa level to submerge the desired computing components in the coolingliquid. The cooling liquid is also filled to the level of the outlet 48.If only certain of the components need to be submerged, and thosecomponents are located lower on the logic board, then the liquid needonly fill a portion of the interior space. In that instance, thelocation of the outlet 48 would need to be changed so as to be lower onthe end wall 18 at or below the level of the liquid, or the outletlocation 48 can remain the same but a fluid connection establishedbetween the outlet and the liquid.

The concepts described may be embodied in other forms without departingfrom the spirit or novel characteristics thereof. The examples disclosedin this application are to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not limitative. The scope of the invention is indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are intended to be embraced therein.

1. A server computer case comprising: a plurality of walls defining aninterior space, the walls having a first end and a second end, the wallsbeing seamless and formed from an extruded material, and the pluralityof walls are devoid of openings therethrough so that the interior spaceis not in communication with ambient air through the plurality of walls;and a plurality of ridges formed on outer surfaces of the plurality ofwalls at the first end and the second end, and the ridges includethreaded holes at the first end and the second end for receivingthreaded fasteners.
 2. The server computer case of claim 1, wherein theextruded material comprises aluminum or plastic.
 3. The server computercase of claim 1, wherein the plurality of walls include two wallsdisposed opposite each other, and extruded slots formed on the two wallswithin the interior space.
 4. The server computer case of claim 1,wherein the plurality of ridges extend from the first end to the secondend.
 5. The server computer case of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of heat exchange fins formed on an interior surface of atleast one of the walls within the interior space, and a plurality ofheat exchange fins formed on an exterior surface of at least one of thewalls.
 6. A server computer case comprising: a plurality of wallsdefining an interior space, the walls having a first end and a secondend, the walls being seamless and formed from an extruded material, andthe plurality of walls are devoid of openings therethrough so that theinterior space is not in communication with ambient air through theplurality of walls; and the plurality of walls include two wallsdisposed opposite each other, and extruded slots formed on the two wallswithin the interior space.
 7. The server computer case of claim 6,wherein the extruded material comprises aluminum or plastic.
 8. Theserver computer case of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of heatexchange fins formed on an interior surface of at least one of the wallswithin the interior space, and a plurality of heat exchange fins formedon an exterior surface of at least one of the walls.
 9. A servercomputer case for use in a liquid submersion cooled server computer,comprising: a liquid-tight case having a main body that includes aplurality of walls defining an interior space, the main body having afirst end and a second end, the main body being seamless and formed froman extruded material, and the plurality of walls of the main body aredevoid of openings therethrough so that the interior space is not incommunication with an exterior of the main body through the plurality ofwalls; a first end wall closing the first end and a second end wallclosing the second end; and a liquid inlet for cooling liquid and aliquid outlet for cooling liquid provided on the first end wall or thesecond end wall; and the server computer case further includes at leastone of the following: a) the plurality of walls include two wallsdisposed opposite each other, and extruded slots formed on the two wallswithin the interior space; and b) a plurality of ridges formed on outersurfaces of the plurality of walls, the ridges extend from the first endto the second end, and the ridges include threaded holes at the firstend and the second end that receive threaded fasteners to secure thefirst end wall and the second end wall to the main body.
 10. The servercomputer case of claim 9, wherein the first end wall and the second endwall are separate from and attached to the main body, and there is aseal between the first end wall and the main body and a seal between thesecond end wall and the main body to prevent leakage of cooling liquidfrom the interior space.
 11. The server computer case of claim 9,wherein the extruded material comprises aluminum or plastic.
 12. Theserver computer case of claim 9, wherein the first end wall or thesecond end wall include pass-through input/output and power connectors.13. The server computer case of claim 9, further comprising a pluralityof heat exchange fins formed on an interior surface of the main bodywithin the interior space and a plurality of heat exchange fins formedon an exterior surface of the main body.
 14. The server computer case ofclaim 9, wherein the server computer case includes a) and b).